Bittersweet
by Karishiana
Summary: Scenes from 'Naruto: Road to Ninja' in which I believed could have been in more depth and given more insight. Spoilers for 'Naruto: Road to Ninja'. Family! Minato/Kushina/Naruto


**Summary:** Scenes from 'Naruto: Road to Ninja' in which I believed could have been in more depth and given more insight. Spoilers for 'Naruto: Road to Ninja'.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_; Masashi Kishimoto is the sole owner of _Naruto_. No copyright infringement intended.

**Warnings:** Minor language, major spoilers for 'Naruto: Road to Ninja', not-beta'd

**Author's Notes:** After watching Naruto: Road to Ninja last week (which was Korean dubbed, but English subbed (personally, I think that the Japanese voice actors sound better than Korean voice actors, but I won't complain because it's the same context, just in a different language)), I got the "feels" and had the sudden urge to write another one-shot. (And damn it, there weren't enough family moments! I didn't like how the movie ended and how Naruto never got a proper ending with his parents.) Nevertheless, the movie was enjoyable, and it was worth waiting nearly 9 months for.

* * *

_Bittersweet_

By Karishiana

* * *

Naruto remembered how he felt when he barraged into his apartment in this parallel world. He remembered the anticipation he felt when he turned the doorknob, imagining his parents to be on the other side (because if his dad wasn't the Yondaime Hokage, he would be alive, right?), only for another lady—who had just gotten out of the shower and clothed in only a towel, might he add—to be the one he came face-to-face with.

How his heart had dropped that moment.

He remembered cursing Madara to the deepest pits of hell and hating Madara for messing with his feelings ("Damn you! Even in this alternative universe are my parents are dead! Stop messing with my feelings!").

He hated feeling vulnerable.

Madara was fucking with him. He was going to kill that son of a bitch when he finally laid hands on him. How dare he try to screw with his feelings?

Madara knew exactly his deepest desires and how he yearned for the opportunity to get to know his parents. He knew Madara had ulterior motives for bringing Sakura and himself to this parallel world and he was going to do everything in his power to prevent the man from accomplishing his goals.

However, his resolve was crushed when he saw his parents.

When he first saw his parents—alive and moving—in the Hokage tower, all Naruto could do was freeze up and become mute.

It was a different story—anticipating his parents alive, and caught off guard seeing his parents alive—and therefore, his reaction was off and it was completely plausible for him to become temporarily mute.

Oh how he imaged his parents alive—he would tell them how much he loved them and how he missed and needed them in his life.

But all he could do was gape like an idiot.

…

Seeing his father for the first time since his battle with Pein brought a pang to his chest, and the mere sight of his mother made his heart ache severely.

He remembered admiring the Yondaime Hokage as a kid, deeming him as his role model. ("My future dream is to be the next Hokage, and I _will_ surpass the Fourth Hokage!") Seeing the Yondaime Hokage—_his father_—the man who saved Konoha from destruction, was a dream come true and something that he would forever remember, parallel universe or not.

As a kid, Naruto imagined what his mom and dad looked like. ("I bet my mom is the prettiest kunoichi ever! And my dad would be the coolest shinobi ever! Dattebayo!") In person, his parents were perfect and flawless.

He saw that he got his beautiful cerulean eyes and bright blond from his dad and his enthusiastic personality from his mom, as well as the structure of his face. He saw that his skin tone was a match with the Yondaime Hokage—no, not the Yondaime in this universe; his dad—and that his speech was of his mom.

They were beautiful and loving ninjas and he was lucky enough to be their son.

…

Naruto often wondered how Sakura would react—how she _did_ react that moment (he was too busy gaping like some sort of fish out of water to notice)—if she met his parents (She never knew of his parents because he was an orphan and it was her first time actually encountering them—two people who were supposed to be dead in their universe).

Surprise? Wonder? Awe?

Did she think he acted a lot like his mom, or how he was a splitting image of his father? Or how his father was the Yondaime Hokage of their alternate world? Was he a lot like his mom in personality? How would Sakura react if he told her that his mom was the previous jinchūriki before him?

He often imaged how he would introduce his friends to his parents—if they were alive, of course. ("Mom, dad, I would like to introduce you to my friends…" "Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, everyone, meet my mom and dad.")

He had millions of different scenarios played out in his mind, but they would never come true, because his parents were dead—but apparently not in this universe. They were alive and kicking here, and if he were being honest with himself, he yearned to know them personally.

He, however, refused to open up, because they were not his real parents, and this was all Madara's trick to rip Kyuubi out of him. These carbon copies were not his parents. His parents—Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki—died the day he was born, and that was final.

That fucker Madara.

So imagine Naruto's surprise when his father, Minato, personally ask Tsunade to allow him and Sakura to join the mission to retrieve the Red Moon Scroll.

So. Damn. Shocked.

Why would this pseudo-dad do that for him? He didn't know the guy! And why was his name "Menma" of all things in this alternate world?! He fucking hated Menma! One would think his name would remain "Naruto".

It was ironic and a bit amusing (at least to Sakura; he was bemused and a little enraged by that fact) how "Menma" is also a condiment found in ramen, parallel to "Naruto".

…

He often wondered if his parents contemplated whom he would look like more like when he was still inside his mother's stomach. He wondered what he would have looked like if he had ended up with red hair instead of blond, who he would look like more if he had his mother's royal blue eyes instead of his father's bright cerulean blue eyes. Perhaps if he changed, maybe he would have been more similar to his father in his personality—calm, cool, collected, a genius, and other such traits—and looked identical to his mom.

There were millions of possibilities, but only one outcome. He desired to know so much, but he could not find out, because his parents were dead.

This parallel universe is screwing with his mind.

…

As he was flipping through the photo album, a smile lit his face and Naruto began to wonder,

'_If otou-san and okaa-san were still alive today, would they have treated me with as much as these parents?' _

He saw the several images of a younger version himself with his parents and imagined life with them. He looked so happy with them.

Would he have been happy if Minato and Kushina were alive? Would he be as happy as he looked like in this picture? Perhaps more?

His eyes were unreadable as he scanned the pictures, taking them in greedily (He was so jealous that he never had the chance to experience this childhood, whereas his classmate from academy did).

This was, after all, the closest childhood he would ever obtain with his parents.

…

"Menma!" He felt arms wrapped around him protectively, pushing him aside and stirring his concentration while he was trying to enter into sage mode; his eyes widened in shock at this abrupt action.

And then a cry of pain echoed in his ear.

"Kushina!" a male—his dad—exclaimed.

His mom—his _fake_ mom—had protected him. She was injured because of his brash actions. Guilt consumed him and he immediately felt bad, but pushed it aside because these _were not_ his parents; they were part of a jutsu conjured up by Madara.

And also, it was not his fault, because it was her decision to protect him—not his.

…

"It's no one's fault but her own! She decided to save me; I never asked her to! If I were alone, I would have been able to protect myself—!"

Suddenly, his cheek stung and his field of vision was slightly moved to the right from earlier. His eyes widened as he realized why it stung; Minato had hit him.

"We can't stop ourselves from protecting you. That is what a parent is," Minato responded coolly. He narrowed his eyes in anger.

He didn't want them to protect him; he could fend for himself! They weren't even his parents, damn it! They didn't need to protect him; he didn't understand why they did!

Suddenly, a protective and comforting, yet strong hand landed on his shoulder gently.

"Don't be brash anymore, Menma. I talked to your mom about writing a letter recommendation to become jounin." He looked taken aback.

They… they would do that for him? He always wanted someone—preferably his parents—to write him a recommendation to become jounin. And now… when it came true, he didn't know how to react.

And then when he saw Kushina, his mom, rushing over to hug him despite her injury, something inside his heart moved and he began to feel… happy and lucky…?

"Menma, thank God you're alright. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt." As he felt arms wrap around his neck, he hesitated, wondering if this was all some trick to get him to open up.

However, after a few moments of silence, he slowly brought his arms up, hesitantly, to wrap around his mom.

He didn't want to resist anymore; he was tired of resisting. He wanted to experience their love.

'_I love you, otou-san, okaa-san.'_

A few feet away, he saw his dad smiling, and he smiled to himself softly.

…

His hand shook nervously as he approached the door to his home. He knew his dad could sense his presence outside of the house, but he needed to remain calm.

They loved him.

He loved them.

Simple logic.

All Naruto needed to do was gather the courage to open the damn door. They weren't going to persecute him.

He swallowed and turned the knob slowly, watching the door open. The bright light from the kitchen blinded him momentarily and then he took a hesitant step forward.

"Tadaima." His parents turned toward him and smiled.

"Okaeri, Menma."

He felt happiness fill him in that exact moment.

…

It was his mom's birthday today, and he and his dad had prepared a small celebration in honor of her birthday.

Kushina had blown so hard to try to extinguish the candle flames and destroyed half of the cake in the process (this just proved that she was a strong woman), making him guffaw.

He had never laughed so hard in his life. Today, he got the opportunity to celebrate a precious event that he would probably never have the chance to again after today.

And he loved this feeling of uttermost happiness.

He never wanted to leave, but he knew he would have to, eventually. In the dark corner of his mind, he knew they weren't his real parents, but it felt so much like he was with his real parents.

…

"We have to go and save Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Menma… I'm sorry, but we can't risk the lives of the shinobi, just for Sakura," Minato murmured. He sounded... sad and conflicted.

"But you… You think the Red Moon Scroll is more important than Sakura's life?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"No, Menma. I didn't say that. If I could, I would save Sakura. But we can't risk our lives for her. And especially when the Red Moon Scroll is in our hands, we should protect it. Jiraiya-sensei risked his life to obtain this scroll, and I won't let his death go without protecting this scroll with my life."

"Then I'll go and save Sakura!"

"No, Menma!" cried out Kushina immediately. "Don't go. You'll get hurt! The masked man is too strong." He relished in the fact that _someone_ cared for _him_. Would his mom have acted the same way, if she were alive? Or would she encourage him to save Sakura?

"You don't have to go; you don't have the obligation to!" Minato added. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to say the painful words.

He couldn't keep up this façade anymore. He couldn't fool himself anymore.

They weren't his parents, no matter how much he pretended.

His parents _were heroes_ who risked their lives to save the village.

He had to stop fooling himself; he had to return to his universe.

"I'm not Menma. My name is Naruto, and I'm not from this dimension. I'm sorry I fooled you both."

"What are you—?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to save Sakura to get back to my universe." He quickly grabbed his father's robe and slipped it on, feeling as though with it on, Minato was with him.

"Menma! If you go, I won't forgive you—!" Kushina pleaded. Naruto stopped abruptly and pressed his lips into a hard line.

"My parents—my _real_ parents—were heroes. My dad—the Yondaime Hokage—saved Konohagakure from destruction, and my mom… she protected me. She was the hero and offered to risk her life in order to save everyone."

"This doesn't—"

"I… I have to go because I'm the son of two heroes."

"Menma—" Minato and Kushina exclaimed. He quickly escaped to find Sakura, tears brimming his eyes.

'_I'm sorry. Thank you.'_

…

"Menma!" his pseudo-mom exclaimed as his counterpart changed before his very eyes to mirror his image. He watched with jealous eyes as Minato and Kushina rushed to inspect their son—not him—and protect him.

"This—Naruto—" Minato hastily began. He quickly turned his back, showing off his father's cloak; Naruto did not want them to see his eyes gleaming with jealousy for his alternate self with tears on the verge of spilling.

Naruto could see from the corner of his eyes that Sakura was looking worriedly at him. It looked like she was about to say something, but hesitated, concluding that he needed space.

"I really thank you for coming to save me." He paused, biting his lip hard to prevent any noise from escaping his mouth.

"And it was only for a short period of time, but I am really grateful to you two." Naruto felt two pairs of eyes boring into his head, but ignored it.

"Naruto—" He ignored his pseudo-father and held the tears threatening to seep out of his eyes.

"This… being here with you both was the first time I got to spend time with my family, whether or not you're my birth parents. I now know that if my parents were alive, they would love me as much as you loved me and they would have treated me with tenderness and care like you have shown me." His eyes wandered to Menma, his counterpart who was cradled in Kushina's arms, and immediately felt jealous.

Menma had everything he wanted—parents who were able to love him unconditionally and protect him.

"Thank you for giving me a warm meal. Thank you for sincerely worrying about me, scolding me, letting me live healthily, and loving me. I just… Thank you." He saw himself and Sakura begin to fade away and return back to their dimension.

As they were fading away, he heard his pseudo-parents murmuring.

"_Naruto… Although you're not our son, we love you. I'm sure that if your parents were alive, they would love you as much as we love you. You didn't feel like a stranger in all the time you've been here; you're personality and actions are just like Menma's. Perhaps… if your parents were alive, maybe we would have been similar to them. Even though we're not heroes like your parents, I'm sure we would have protected you similarly. _

"_Maybe we love you just as much as your parents do; maybe we love you as much as we love Menma; maybe you're just another part of Menma, parallel world or not. _

"_So thank you for letting us take care of you and love you in the time you've spent here._

"_We love you, Naruto."_

…

As Sakura ran over to hug her parents and apologize, he smiled to himself.

He finally had the opportunity to know his parents and experience their love, like the rest of his classmates; now he understood them a little better, and even though they weren't his real parents, he felt protected and loved by them.

And he was grateful.

Whether he was in a parallel universe or not, he loved his parents (and fake parents).

.

.

.

Being a ninja was hard; you never know when you're going to die, but you'll expect to die sometime.

However, a shinobi is one who endures. That is what "shinobi" truly means. And Naruto will endure, because his parents were protecting him in spirit.

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**Notes:**

I've been up all night writing this story for three hours straight, so it's not in the best quality. When I have time later, I'll edit it and replace this chapter. For now, you guys will just have to endure, sooory. And also, there were a few other scenes in the story, but I was too lazy to add them in. (It's late at night; give me some credit here!)

What did you think of 'Naruto: Road to Ninja'? I honestly did not like how they portrayed Minato as a weakling, because he's honestly stronger than how he was depicted in the movie, but that's just me. Honestly, I thought Kushina, Tsunade, and many other characters were demoted to a weaker state, not only Minato.

Ah well, I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. I'll most likely re-watch it again when the Japanese version comes out.

Drop me a line?


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